Three Al Jazeera journalists detained for a month are among 20 people referred to Egypt 's criminal court to face trial , Egyptian state media reported Wednesday .

Four of the 20 defendants are foreigners : Australian Al Jazeera correspondent Peter Greste , two unidentified Englishmen and one unnamed Dutchman , state media said .

The foreign nationals face charges `` of collaborating with the Egyptians -LRB- defendants -RRB- and providing them with information , equipment and money , as well as broadcasting false information and rumors to convince the international community that Egypt was undergoing a civil war . ''

The remaining 16 defendants are Egyptians , who face charges `` including belonging to a terrorist organization , harming national unity and social peace , and using terrorism as a means to their goals . ''

Egyptian authorities arrested Greste , Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed of Al Jazeera English on December 29 . They have been held since .

Egyptian authorities say the journalists held illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood , which was declared a terrorist group in December .

Mohamed Fadel Fahmy 's brother , Adel Fahmy , told CNN that his brother 's lawyer had confirmed he was among the defendants named in a statement by Egyptian prosecutors .

`` It 's a big blow . We did n't think things would turn out this way , especially after all the evidence that came out against the accusations , '' Adel Fahmy said . `` We thought things were getting better , but this is taking us back to square one -- even worse . ''

Brother : ` We 're praying and we 're hoping '

Adel Fahmy said the family was trying to stay strong . `` You have to always keep the hope . We 're praying and we 're hoping that this is just a tough period that will pass . ''

He said the family was particularly worried about Mohamed Fadel Fahmy because even Greste , as a foreign citizen in detention , was not getting any protection .

He added , `` We have to stay positive . It 's completely crazy and the situation in the country is making things worse -- the bombings , the assassinations . The government is trying to save face , but they 're making things worse . They 're not thinking rationally . ''

Greste wrote in a letter released by Al Jazeera on Saturday that his detention was an attack on media freedoms .

`` How do you accurately and fairly report on Egypt 's ongoing political struggle without talking to everyone involved ? '' he wrote .

The network did not say how it obtained the letter from Greste , who has previously worked for CNN , Reuters and the BBC .

Fahmy worked for CNN and The New York Times before joining Al Jazeera . Mohamed is a Cairo-based producer for the Qatar-based network .

Western leaders , human rights groups and journalists have repeatedly called on Egypt to release the men , saying their arrests were a violation of human rights and media freedoms .

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Prosecutors say three detained Al Jazeera journalists are among 20 people to face trial

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Peter Greste , Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been in jail for a month

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They are accused of holding illegal meetings with the banned Muslim Brotherhood

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16 of the defendants are Egyptian ; charges they face include belonging to terror group